Kozhikode: Wayanad has suddenly acquired national importance with the KPCC leaders hinting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will contest from there apart from Amethi to ensure a sure win for him as it is considered as a Congress bastion. Not only political leaders of all parties, but the people of the state were taken aback by the incredible news of Rahul coming down to Kerala to fight it out.
Congress leader T. Siddique, who had started campaigning in the constituency, announced withdrawal of his candidature and wholeheartedly welcomed Rahul to the seat, which he said was an honour for him.
The late M.I. Shanavas had converted the seat to a UDF citadel by winning it in 2009, soon after its formation, by a margin of 1.53 lakh votes. He won it for the second term with a margin of 20,870 votes though there were allegations that he had ignored the constituency in his first term.
Shanavas was mostly ill during his first stint and when he was trying to make amends for it came the sad demise.
The Congress workers in Wayanad district are upbeat over the reports of Rahul’s candidature. Wayanad DCC president I.C. Balakrishnan told DC that there had already been discussions about allotting the seat to Rahul. “The present news is not a surprise for the Congress leadership,” he said. “Many things might have to be considered before finalizing it,” he said. Rahul Gandhi will sweep the polls even without coming here for campaigning, he said.
T. Siddique, whose candidature was announced a few days back, said, “there is no confusion, I will back out with much pleasure.”
The constituency is spread across three districts--Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram—and covers seven legislative constituencies--Manantha-vadi (LDF), Kalpetta (LDF), Sulthan Bathery (UDF), all in Wayanad district, and Thiruvambadi (LDF, Kozhikode) and Wandoor, Eranad and Nilambur (LDF independent, Malappuram).
